Universal spotter cam arrangement



July 23, 1963 1.. LICATA 3,098,899

UNIVERSAL SPOTTER CAM ARRANGEMENT Filed Feb. 13, 1962 FIG.1 FIG. 2

FIG.8

45 INVENTOR.

LEONARD L/CATA 4s 42 50 'IIIII 'IIII/ 40 40 FIG. 9 FIG. 10

ATTY.

FIG-6 Patented July 23, 1963 3,098,899 UNIVERSAL SPOTTER CAM ARRANGEMENT Leonard Licata, Santa Monica, Calif., assignor to Automatic Electric Laboratories, Inc, Northlake, llL, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 173,004 2 Claims. (Cl. 179-90) This invention relates to calling devices or the impulse transmitting type, particularly calling devices of the kind having provisions for calling party identification. The invention also relates to improvements in party identification cam arrangements adapted for use in such calling devices.

The calling device of the character in which the use of the present invention is contemplated and over which it represents an improved arrangement is well-known in the art and is described for example, in US. Patent No. 2,366,647, John E. Ostline, granted January 2, 1945, and US. Patent No. 2,822,424, John E. Ostlinc, granted February 18, 1958. In addition to the obvious impulsing and shunting springs, :a pair of supplemental impulsing springs are operated periodically by a cam afiixed t and rotating with the main dial arhor. The lobe or lobes or said cam are so positioned, with respect to the supplemental impulsing spring operating pawl, and the latter springs will make contact at a time having a predetermined relationship to the closing of the digit impulsing springs as operated by the digit impulse spindle and cam. The angular positioning of the supplemental impulsing cam is highly critical if the predetermined relationship is to be accurately maintained.

It is evident from the arrangements shown in the cited patents that a large variety of cams must he carried by the telephone company to meet the identification requirements of the various parties on a line. I

It is the chief object of the present invention to provide "a universal cam assembly for a calling device.

p A feature of the present invention is the use of an insulating cam body into which are threaded screws, the surfaces of which serve to control the supplemental springs.

Another feature or the present invention is that the cam assembly is simple and sturdy in construction and economical to manufacture and the component parts of which are held to a minimum.

Still another feature of the present invention is a cam assembly which with a minimum of effort may be adapted for use with one or more spring control members, as may be required.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the detailed description which fiollovws taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of the rear of a dialing device showing the relative positions of the contact springs and the two operating cams.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the dialing device showing clearly the pair of supplementary impulsing springs and their relation to the main dial arbor operating cam.

FIG.- 3 is an enlarged plan view of the identification cam assembly showing the supplementary contact springs and cam arrangement, the operating means employed to actuate the springs, and the cam actuating member hearing means.

FIG, 4 is another enlarged plan view of a second ver sion of the identification cam assembly showing the alter native mounting arrangement of the cam assembly.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the cam body as utilized in the view of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the cam body as utilized in the view of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the supplementary spring as sernbly actuating screw.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the clamping plate utilized in the assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view 9-9 of the cam body of FIG. 5.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view 10-10 of the cam body of FIG. 6.

A dialing device embodying my invention and shown in FIGS. land 2 includes a mechanism housing 10 and finger wheel 11 and dial plate 12 which may be operatively secured to the housing 10 and its contained mechanism (not shown) in a well-known manner. A main shaftor arbor 13 motatablymounrted in the housing 10 is rotatable with the finger wheel 11 and carries the identificationcam assembly tobe described in detail hereinafter. The coil spring 14 affixed at one end to the plate 13a secured to the rear plate of the housing 10 and at the other end to the 13 insures the return to a normal position of the finger Wheel 11 after it has been rotated a predetermined amount. A spindle 15 extends outside the housing 10 parallel to the shaft 13 and is controlled by the mechanism to rotate only upon the release of the finger wheel 11 when the finger wheel 11 is permitted to return to its normal position. An impulse cam 16 is rigidly securedto the spindle 15. A centrifugal governor 18 mounted onthe housing 10 is associated with a gear 19, which is mounted on spindle 15, to maintain the rotational speed of the cam 16 within predetermined limits in a well-known manner.

Mounted on the housing 10 in a conventional manner. are a number of operating spring assemblies. Two of these springs, 20 and 21, are impulsing springs opera-tiuely associated with a pair of lobes 22 of the impulsing cam- A pair of supplementary impulsing springs 30 and 31 cooperate with the identification cam assembly. The shaft 13, threaded atone end, is journalled in a guide bushing (not shown) afilxed to the rear plate of the housing 10. A second bushing 37, mounted on the shaft 13, is part of the rotatable spring assembly. This spring assembly consists of the spring 14, a bushing 37, and a cam mount-' ing plate 38 mounted on the buhing 37 by upsetting the upper portion of the bushing 37. One end of the spring 14 projects through a slot in the end of shaft 13 and the other end is secured to plate 13a. Concentric with the arbor 13 and on the annular mounting plate 38 is mounted the cam 40' having its peripheral portion extending beyond the plate 38 A cam spring actuating member hearing portion is provided on the cam body 40'. This member 50' is located shelf like so that it extends beyond the periphery of the main portion 40 of the cam assembly and is in a plane parallel to the portion 40' but is not in thesame plane. This permits the portions 72 to reach into the plane of the portion 40' to engage the pawl 32.

Three spring actuating members 7 are shown, though it is to be understood that the number of such actuating members may be varied as may be required for identification purposes. These szpning actuating members each consist of a screw 70 with a threaded portion 71 and a polished stem 72. The threaded portion is turned into the tapped holes 45' provided in the cam portion 50'. Since they are removably mounted in the cam portion 50' these members 70 may be inserted, removed and their positions altered in the field with tools readily available to maintenance personnel. A circular plate 43', having in its center a circular hole rests on the cam 40'. The plate 43' is centered on the shaft 13. The cam may be rotated about the upset portion of bushing 37 to the proper position. The tightening of nut 48 on the plate 43' clamps the cam 40' to the plate 38. The clamping takes place at the periphery of the circular plate due to its dish shaped contour.

In an alternate cam mounting arrangement, cooperating with the supplementary impulsing springs 30 and 31 is an identification cam assembly mounted on the arbor 13 previously described. The arbor 13 is journalled in a guide bushing (not shown) affixed to the housing 10. A second bushing 37 is mounted on the arbor 13 and is rotatable therewith. Securely mounted on the bushing 37 in any convenient manner as by upsetting the upper portion of the bushing 37 is an annular cam mounting plate 38. Concentric with the annular mounting plate 38 and the arbor 13 is the annular cam 40 resting on the plate 38 and having the peripheral portion extending beyond the plate 38. A cam actuating member bearing portion 50 is provided on the periphery of the cam 40. Although only three members 70 are shown it is to be understood that any number of such members 70 may be provided as may be required for identification purposes. A circular plate 43 resting on the annular cam 40 also concentric with the arbor 13 and the cam 40 completes the identification cam assembly. Maintaining the cam assembly rigidly in the relation-ship described are the mounting screws 44. In the preferred embodiment of the invention three such screws preferably separated by 120 are found to be satisfactory. The plate 43 is suitably slotted to slidably pass the mounting screws and the mounting plate 38 is drilled and tapped to admit the screws. When the cam actuating members '70 of the present embodiment have been shifted to the required position the screws 44 may be secured tlhus clamping the annular cam 40 rigidly between the plate 43 and the mounting plate 38.

The pawl 32 together with the springs 30 and 31 is so positioned with respect to the identification cam assembly that when the arbor 13 and the cam 40 are rotated far enough in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction, the cam actuating members 70 will engage the pawl 32. However, when the arbor 13 and cam 40 are rotated in a counterclockwise direction, that is, when the finger wheel 11 is rotated from its normal position, the actuating members 72 by engaging the pawl 32 causes it to pivot about the pin 33 in a clockwise direction. There will, in this case, be no appreciable effeet on the spring 31 since the bias of the spring 34 is not sufiicient to prevent the pawl 32 from pivoting by its contact with the lug 35. When the cam 40, on the other hand, is rotated in 'a clockwise direction, that is, when the finger wheel is released after rotation and permitted to return to its normal position, the members 72 again engage the pawl 32 but in this case the pawl 32 is prevented entirely from pivoting by the contact of the lug 35 with the spring 31 and the entire spring 31 will he forced into a counterclockwise movement about its mounting and into contact with the spring 30. As soon as a member 72 in its clockwise rotation passes the pawl 32 the spring 31 will return to normal, that is, out of contact with the spring 30, by its own spring action. To prevent the spring 31 from returning too far and thereby to prevent any possible contact of the pawl 32 with the cam 40 proper during its rotation an additional fiat spring 47 mounted in the same manner as the spring 31 is provided. The spring 47 biases the spring 31 and the pawl 32 only sufficiently to maintain a minimal distance from the cam 40 proper but not enough to cause the springs 30 and 31 to make contact.

Returning now to the operation of the dialing device: as the finger wheel 11 is rotated from its normal position to its extreme rotatable position, that is, to a position corresponding to, for example, the 0 digit of a conventional automatic telephone dialing device, the impulse spring control arm, not shown, is disengaged from the buffer, also not shown, and the closed impulsing springs 20 and 21 are moved into a cooperative relationship with the impulsing cam 16. The shunt spring control arm is also disengaged from the buffer and the shunt springs 27 are closed. The members 72 will engage the pawl 32 but, as previously explained, no operation of the springs 30 and 31 is effected. By the operation of the internal mechanism, not shown, of the housing 19 no rotation of the cam 16 takes place during this rotation of the finger wheel 11. When the finger wheel 11 is released and returned to normal by the tension of the coil spring 14, however, the impulsing cam 16 is caused to rotate, the cam lobes 22 alternately engaging the spring 20 thereby periodically opening the impulse springs 20 and 21 which in turn may periodically open the usual line circuit of an automatic telephone system extending through the impulse springs 20 and 21. The centrifugal governor means 18 maintains a uniform speed of rotation of the impulsing cam 16 thereby insuring uniformity in the timing and length of the impulses thus generated.

The member 72 and the cam 40 may be shifted around to any desired angular position so that the supplementary impulsing springs 30 and 31 will close at any time with respect to the timing of the opening and the closing of the impulsing springs 20 and 21. Thus the cam assembly as described herein may be employed in telephone circuit arrangements where it is desired that upon the initial dialing of the digit 0 a supplementary pulse or pulses falling after or during a selected one of any of the ten digital impulses may be generated, the selection of the digit being accomplished merely by shifting the cam body or actuating member 70. In other circuit arrangements a supplementary series of impulses may be desired to alternate or to coincide with the digital impulses generated and this is readily accomplished by adding or removing screws 70 from the cam 40 in the presently considered assembly corresponding to the number of supplementary impulses desired and then aligning the cam to the desired angular position which in turn will determine the timing of the supplementary impulses.

The advantages of the cam assembly according to the invention in which the parts thereof are interchangeable in the degree described are readily apparent in terms of economy and simplicity of manufacture. Thus the only component which will vary in the application of my invention to diiferent telephone systems will be the number of screws 76. Two cams can thus be used in any installation depending upon the type of dial used and the occurrence or non-occurrence of supplementary impulses.

What is claimed is:

1. In a dialing device having the usual impulse sending springs, a rotatable shaft having a finger wheel mounted on one end for manually rotating the shaft in one direction and a spring for rotating the shaft in the other direction to operate said springs, a set of auxiliary contact springs mounted adjacent one end of said shaft with a trigger associated with the auxiliary springs to operate the same, a cam member adjustably mounted on said one end of the shaft, said cam member comprising a disc of insulating material having a series of threaded holes along one edge thereof in a circular row concentric with the outer edge of the disc, a plurality of control members mounted in certain of said threaded holes, each control member comprising a screw having a head with threads on the shank adjacent the head cooperating with the threads of one of the holes and a smooth stem projecting beyond the threads and beyond the surface of the disc into the path of said trigger, the stems of said screws engaging said trigger as the shaft is rotated, in such a manner as to operate said auxiliary springs only as the shaft moves in one direction.

2. A dialing device as claimed in claim 1, in which said cam disc has a shelf member formed as a unit with the disc and extending beyond the periphery of the disc in a plane parallel to the plane of the disc, said perforated holes placed in said shelf in such a manner that the smooth stems of the control members, when placed in said holes, extend into the plane of the disc body beyond 5 the periphery thereof for operating said trigger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 2,522,119 Kaolin Sept. 12, 1950 2,822,424 Ostline Feb. 4, 1958 2,824,176 Hartz Feb. 18, 1958 

1. IN A DIALING DEVICE HAVING THE USUAL IMPULSE SENDING SPRINGS, A ROTATABLE SHAFT HAVING A FINGER WHEEL MOUNTED ON ONE END FOR MANUALLY ROTATING THE SHAFT IN ONE DIRECTION AND A SPRING FOR ROTATING THE SHAFT IN THE OTHER DIRECTION TO OPERATE SAID SPRINGS, A SET OF AUXILIARY CONTACT SPRINGS MOUNTED ADJACENT ONE END OF SAID SHAFT WITH A TRIGGER ASSOCIATED WITH THE AUXILIARY SPRINGS TO OPERATE THE SAME, A CAM MEMBER ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED ON SAID ONE END OF THE SHAFT, SAID CAM MEMBER COMPRISING A DISC OF INSULATING MATERIAL HAVING A SERIES OF THREADED HOLES ALONG ONE EDGE THEREOF IN A CIRCULAR ROW CONCENTRIC WITH THE OUTER EDGE OF THE DISC, A PLURALITY OF CONTROL MEMBERS MOUNTED IN CERTAIN OF SAID THREADED HOLES, EACH CONTROL MEMBER COMPRISING A SCREW HAVING A HEAD WITH THREADS ON THE SHANK ADJACENT THE HEAD COOPERATING WITH THE THREADS OF ONE OF THE HOLES AND A SMOOTH STEM PROJECTING BEYOND THE THREADS AND BEYOND THE SURFACE OF THE DISC INTO THE PATH OF SAID TRIGGER, THE STEMS OF SAID SCREWS ENGAGING SAID TRIGGER AS THE SHAFT IS ROTATED, IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO OPERATE SAID AUXILIARY SPRINGS ONLY AS THE SHAFT MOVES IN ONE DIRECTION. 